The CANA Scholarship was created by the Chinese American Nurses Association (CANA) to express the association’s commitment to improving nursing care in Asian communities by educating culturally competent, qualified nurses. The fund provides financial support to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral-level nursing students who are of Chinese heritage and demonstrate a strong commitment to nursing and Chinese American health.
To apply, submit the completed application form and all required documents via email to the Scholarship Committee at cananursing1997@gmail.com. Please indicate “2026 CANA Scholarship Application” in the email subject.
About the Scholarship
The CANA Scholarship, established by the Chinese American Nurses Association (CANA), supports the development of culturally competent and qualified nurses committed to improving the health and healthcare in Chinese and Asian American communities.
Award Amount: $3,000 total over two years, distributed in two installments:
• $1,500 in the first year
• $1,500 in the second year (upon verification of CANA event participation)
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
● Be of Chinese heritage
● Be a matriculated undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral nursing student at an accredited nursing school
● Be a current CANA member orstudent member (Current CANA Board and Committee members are ineligible)
● Have completed at least one academic semester of nursing coursework
● Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2
● Not be a past CANA scholarship recipient
● First-generation college students are strongly encouraged to apply
Application Requirements
Submit the following:
- Personal Statement (typed, double-spaced, 500 words or less) addressing the following:
a. Why did you choose nursing as a career
b. Your goals and commitments to nursing and Chinese/Asian health
c. Community service participation, including the purpose and duration
d. Your commitment to CANA - Official transcript from your school’s Registrar showing academic standing.
- A letter of Recommendation from a current nursing school professor.
Scholarship Commitments & Disbursement
Scholarship recipients must fulfill all participation requirements to receive both installments.
An initial $1,500 is awarded upon
• Meeting all application requirements
• Attending CANA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in person in October to accept the award*
The final $1,500 is awarded after:
• Participating in at least two CANA events (besides the AGM), verified by CANA. Please see a list of exemplar CANA events below.
• Attending the following year’s AGM to report on the scholarship’s impact*
*Video submissions are accepted for awardees residing outside the Tri-State Area and approved by the committee.
Note: The second installment may still be awarded if the recipient graduated from the nursing program within the 2 years and fulfills the participation criteria
Example Eligible CANA Events
Participation can include, but is not limited to:
• Community health fairs (with CANA involvement)
• Chinese New Year Luncheon
• Annual Fundraising Gala
• Other CANA-sponsored events
• Approved events or virtual activities representing CANA (especially for those outside NYC)
Important Notes
• Failure to participate in two CANA events per year during the 2-year period may result in
forfeiture of the remaining scholarship funds.
• All scholarship decisions are final and non-deferrable.
The application deadline is July 15th, 2026. The application form can be downloaded from the website. Please submit a completed application form and all supporting documents via email to Attn: Director of Scholarship Committee, cananursing1997@gmail.com
The CANA Scholarship Committee will not review incomplete applications or those that have passed the deadline. Awards cannot be deferred, and decisions are final. Past scholarship winners are ineligible to apply again and will not be considered.